Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem novelization
by The OgeeBoogie Man
Summary: This is probably the first Eternal Darkness fiction on the site. What a shame-it's not completely origional, either. It's basically a novelization of what happened in the game.
1. Alexandria Roivas: A Death in the Family

Before you read this, be sure to properly credit Cyricz at Gamefaqs.com, who's wonderful 'cutscene guide' helped me to find the quotes to this story during the fleeting few moments that my internet connection doesn't screw up. He has written the guides to some of the finest games of all time, and he should be properly credited for his work.  
  
I would also like to say that this is how I am writing the general story. Though all basic texts from the game should be included, I will write filler for everything in between, and add some things as well. Basically, it's far from completely original.  
  
I also claim no ownership to any of the characters or properties of this story, save the writing of the story itself, and that everything else is purely owned by software company Silicon Knights, which is in turn owned by Nintendo, the greatest game-related software company ever.  
  
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem  
  
Alex Roivas sat up in bed, wide-awake in the dark. She heard a loud noise coming from the corner. Nervous, she fumbled for the light. Clicking it on, she squinted in the dusty glaze. Alex could just barely make out a thin, gangly structure in the corner. She stood up, then walked over the creaky floor to examine it. As she drew closer, she noticed the top part rounded into a knob. like a head.  
  
"Mrraaaawwn!"  
  
Jumping back, she screamed. She could now fully tell what it was-it was a skeleton, thin and wiry, with bits of sinewy, rotted brown flesh hanging in tatters from its frame. It began to shuffle slowly towards her, making a horrible moaning noise as it scraped its dry feet across the carpet. Alex bolted to the wall of her room for her Winchester shotgun. She snatched it off the rack, and grabbed it, fully loaded, and aimed it at the creature's head. But then she heard more moaning coming from her right. She swiveled around, and was face-to-face with another, similar creature. She pulled the trigger in its face.  
  
Its head exploded, and she'd expected it to fall to the ground, dead. But no, it just stood there, swinging blindly with its arms. The other one came closer. She shot it through the torso. It blew in half, spraying flecks of dried blood all over the wall behind it. She turned around to deal with the other one, when she heard three more sets of footsteps. She was quickly surrounded. One of them reached out and punched her with its warm, rotting fist across the torso. It felt enormously powerful for something that was practically a skeleton. She fell back on her bed and put a shot through all of them. Two of them got back up and attacked. She shot one's head off, then aimed at the other to finish it off.  
  
When she pulled the trigger, she heard a horrible silence that was louder than the blast of any shotgun. Had she only loaded 4 shells? She made a desperate break for the door, the last one grabbing and shredding her shirt as she ran by. The handle fumbled in her hands, and she yanked with all her might. It rattled and shook, but it didn't open. She could see why- someone had barred the door.  
  
"Who would do this?" she said. "What's happening?" She pounded the door in fury, and a throbbing noise mixed with the scraping of the remaining zombie's shuffling footsteps. She heard a faint, desperate, anguished voice, but couldn't quite make out what it had said-something about eating her eyes and damning us all. Just as the throbbing grew louder, the zombies disappeared, and a blinding blue light appeared in her room. It looked vaguely like her grandfather.  
  
She walked toward it, and he said quietly, "Remember me, Alex?" Reaching out, she barely touched his finger, when she heard her phone ring. She looked at her desk, and woke up.  
  
Looking at her clock, she wondered furiously just who could be calling at 3:33 AM. She reached to her bedside to pick up the phone.  
  
"Uh. hello?" she said into the speaker. She voice on the other end sounded gruff, serious and a bit worried.  
  
"This is Inspector Largesse of the Rhode Island Police. I'm sorry to disturb you, but. there's been an incident with your grandfather."  
  
She was shocked. Any incident involving this 80-year-old man worth being called up at 3:33 AM for couldn't be good.  
  
"I'll be on the next flight out," she said.  
  
She quickly got up, slipped off her nightgown and walked over to her dresser, the cold air sending chills down her bare skin. She threw on some informal stuff, a pair of blue jeans and a black sweater. She didn't care about some lazy detective's perception of her. They're all pigs anyway, she thought to herself. She didn't know why, but something urged her to get out as soon as possible. Picking up the phone, she decided to call the airport for tickets to Rhode Island.  
  
She heard her doorbell ring. A phone call and visitor both between 3:33 and 3:36 at night? It felt very odd. She walked over and opened the door. No one was there. On the ground, she saw a small envelope. She picked it up, shut the door and opened it. A small piece of paper fell out. She squinted to identify it as a plane ticket. to Rhode Island.  
  
Lord, she thought. How did this happen? Maybe the detective sent her the tickets ahead of time. such an odd way to make sure she got there. Or maybe, she thought, maybe it's an emergency, and he's clinging on for his life.  
  
Feelings of dread came over her as she silently left her house, revved up her battered Mercedes and headed off to the airport. It was only about 20 miles away.  
  
Suddenly, she realized that she hadn't even packed a morsel of food. She felt very foolish, but at the same time, very afraid. She was glad to see, that as she pulled up to the driveway, that the airport was just as alive as ever. Walking out of her car, she stepped into the lobby.  
  
As she sat down, she noticed some odd feelings creep over her. She felt cold, but very awake. The receptionist looked at her, singling her out among the waiting passengers. Alex stepped up cautiously.  
  
"When's flight 233 to Rhode Island?" "It's leaving in about 5 minutes," she replied. "Oh, God. Miss, could you please." "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." she said as she typed up quickly on her computer. "Gate 3b," she said. "Oh, thank you," pleaded Alex as she ran swiftly into the hall. "She rushed through the gate, flashing her ticket and indicating that she had no luggage. Once she was on the plane, she realized how good it felt to sit down on the comfortable, warm aircraft seat and not have to rush anywhere. As the captain gave his directions, the plane took off, and soon she was heading off to Rhode Island.  
  
--- As soon as she got there, a man was waiting for her. He wore what looked like a cop's uniform, and he escorted her out of the airport and into a police cab. This only made her more nervous. After about 30 minutes, the cab driver swerved to the left and onto a long country road that lead out into a large isthmus out over the water. On top if it, there was a large, splendid-looking mansion, with plenty of growth around it, almost hiding it from view. As they drew closer, she made out several more squad cars lined up outside the house.  
  
They parked next to the other cabs, and Alex walked gingerly up the grand steps to the elegantly decorated door. She never even knew her grandfather had owned this place. Stepping inside, she marveled at the creepiness of the place, smelling the dank, dusty air and stepping over the moldy carpet. The cab driver came in, and motioned for her to walk over to the left wing of the house. She opened the door, to see a vast library spread out ahead of her. She walked over to the back, and a large, stockily built man shielded her from view of the room around the corner. She craned her neck around him, and saw what looked like a piece of red cloth on a table. He spoke to her in that very familiar voice. "Ah, miss Roivas," he said as he gently shook her hand. His hand was large and unnaturally soft. "I'm pleased to meet you. I trust you had a pleasant trip?"  
  
"Um, yes, I suppose so," she replied, "considering." She glanced again at the odd-looking cloth tarp.  
  
"Yes, my condolences. This is most unpleasant. It's a shame we couldn't meet under brighter circumstances."  
  
"Yes it is," said Alex, growing slightly tired and irritable at the man's stalling. "Can we get this over with, please?"  
  
"Of course. This way, but I must warn you. It's not a pleasant sight... I'm afraid there's not much to see," he said, his face darkening. He motioned towards the table.  
  
Alex walked closer to it, wondering just what it had to do with anything. She was slightly shocked when she saw boned sticking out of it. She looked closer, and let out a horrifying sob-the red sheet was drenched in blood, and a mutilated body was rolled up inside. She saw the only part that was remotely intact, it's arm, and knew immediately that it was her grandfather when she saw the beautiful gold ring that had been passed down to him by his father. She cried softly.  
  
"Miss Roivas," Largesse began, "is that your grandfather, Edward?"  
  
She soaked up the tears that were streaming down her face with her sweater. "Yes, it's him. he's wearing out family ring." She suddenly felt more irritated with the detective than ever. "I don't understand. Why are you showing me this? Can't you check dental records or something? What is WRONG with you?"  
  
Largesse looked annoyed. "I'm, I'm sorry. It's my job, lady. You're the only living relative, and no, we can't check dental records. There's no head!" he paused for a moment. "Ah, none of this makes sense. There's no sign of intrusion, and there was certainly a lot of force used here. I have never seen anything like this in my twenty years on the force. We have no evidence, except for the body, and what's left doesn't say much. Uh, we don't have a single clue..." he trailed off.  
  
"Well, you better find out who did this. I'm not leaving Rhode Island until you do. There must be some clue in this old mansion revealing what happened. I want answers," she said angrily.  
  
"So do I. I. I wish I had some," he trailed off foolishly. --- The cop search had turned up useless. There was nothing of a single clue, except for a broken clock. That gave hint to something, but no one knew just what or how it might be related to a murder. Also, one of the cops reported to have heard a strange voice while checking a stained glass window on the second floor, but he dismissed it as a daydream from being in the creepy old mansion.  
  
Alex had been provided with money for food and an apartment for her stay, as she had decided to try and find out more about her grandfather herself. But she wasn't allowed to re-visit the mansion for two weeks. She waited both sadly and anxiously to go back to that mysterious old mansion and unearth the secrets if his shady past. He had never spoken much to her, nor come over for her birthday or even her high school graduation. This had happened after her parent's unexplained deaths, and she had felt the sting of loneliness whenever she was asked about her parents. Her grandfather called her once in a while, asking her nonchalantly if she'd ever been followed home or threatened. Unusual, sure, but she'd figured it was just care and paranoia from his aging mind. That strange and horrible dream came to mind.  
  
She walked up to the mansion and opened the massive door again. It was evening, and she'd prepared to find out any dark secrets, no matter how shocking. Not that she'd expected to find out that her family were wanted criminals, or that she was the secret daughter of Barbara Strisand. but she knew he must have done many interesting things in the past.  
  
The mansion was very large. On the table was a small key, next to a clock. It was the same clock that had been labeled as evidence. The one that was stuck at 3:33. Strangely enough, that was also the time she woken up that night. She picked up the small key, and decided to explore the kitchen first. It was dank and dusty, and the fridge was locked. There was the strangest emblem on it. It was a golden emblem, about the size of a dinner plate, and it had an indentation in the shape of a short, broad blade across the top. In the middle of the blade was a slit, and one that looked like it would fit the front of the blade itself. There was an odd symbol engraved over the top.  
  
Puzzled beyond perception, she walked back out into the main hall, and walked up the winding flight of stairs to the second floor. The door at the top was locked. She inserted the key inside, and twisted. She heard a click, and it turned slightly, but it seemed to be a very stubborn lock. She twisted hard, and she heard a crack. The key had broke. She cursed, and scooped the other half out of the lock, then put it in her pocket. She'd planned to buy some super glue and fix it later.  
  
Walking back down the stairs, she entered the now familiar library. She saw eerie portraits of very stern-looking people. Over a fireplace, there was what looked like a family tree, and someone was hanging in the branches. Weird, she thought. She looked at the neat rows of bookshelves, and saw that one of them had an oddly placed book that stuck out. Walking over, she saw the numbers 3:33 scribbled on it. A chill of fear crept through her as she began to think that I was no coincidence.  
  
She walked into the room where she had seen her savaged grandfather's body, it and the table both gone. A large grandfather clock stood in the back corner, along with some tables, books and more unfriendly portraits. Stepping over to the clock, she saw that the hands were both stuck at 12:00 and not moving. One clock was stuck at 3:33, and one at 12:00. What did this mean?  
  
The minute hand twitched a little. She decided that maybe the motor was stuck. She grabbed the handle and swung it around gently. It was obviously not working properly. She turned it gently until it said 3:00. Hmm, what if she set it for 3:33? She decided to do it, just for ironic joke. As she rounded the minute hand to the '5', she felt it stiffen. She pushed it harder until it locked right. at 3:33. A loud sliding noise came from somewhere behind her.  
  
Scared out of her wits, she spun around to see part of the wall to her right slide away completely, leaving a dank passage. It was this moment that she seriously considered leaving, as she felt her heart jumping unpleasantly in her chest. She decided that she could stomach whatever could be seen in an old, rotting house, and she ambled into the passage and walked down the creaky wooden floor to the door at the end. The door slid open easily, and a magnificent sight assaulted her eyes. Strange gadgets, books, pictures and relics scattered the interior of what looked like a small study. She stepped foreword, and noticed that while almost everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, the table seemed to have been recently wiped clean. Probably by the cops, she thought. She looked at the back wall to find a picture of what looked like a burning city, and a massive, tall mound of human corpses laying on one another. To the right, there was a small, 3-candle shrine beneath a picture of a setting sun. She looked to her left to find an odd wooden face on a broken chair. Books and scattered papers littered the floor around the table, but what really caught her attention was on the table itself. It was a large, gold- and-brown tome, with an inscription of some sort on the cover. She couldn't quite make it out, it was written in such a elaborate mix of English and what looked to be Latin. Nervously, she opened it up slowly, and looked inside. 


	2. Pious Agustus: The Chosen One

In all my 24 years fighting, I've never liked doing so in Persia. The heat was the worst it had ever been, and I'd gotten slightly nauseous due to the dryness of the air. Our last was the toughest battle we had been faced with for a while, but it was mainly because of climate-the barbarians had the same trouble we had. It was another glorious victory, and it was usually nice to reap the benefits. But this time, there were no benefits. The only point to our being here was to secure a vast, useless stretch of desert in the name of the Empire.  
  
While fighting had been one reason I had decided to come here instead of back in the north west, I had secretly had my heart set on another, more important thing. A miraculous legend, to be precise, which spoke of several odd landmarks that would take you somewhere that would grant you amazing power. Such rumors should usually be ignored, but higher authorities had acknowledged this, and it seemed a logical decision to try and take care of two matters in one trip. Secure land, banish a rumor.  
  
At the rank of centurion, I was in command of an entire legion of soldiers-from 4 to 6 thousand, roughly. I had never lost a battle, and was very highly respected-one of the best centurions in the army, actually. I'd been modest as humanly possible about it all my life, and I had many a respectful officer who wouldn't have to work quite as hard.  
  
"Rest the men," I said. "They will need their strength. Make sure they take enough water, and are in high spirits. Today's battle was but one of many if we are to complete our mission."  
  
"At once, Centurion Augustus," said my officer in modesty. "I would like to compliment you once more on your battle tactics. Our enemies did not have a chance."  
  
"Do you believe that it really exists, Centurion?" asked another.  
  
"I do not doubt our emperor's beliefs, or his orders. But if we are to retrieve the artifact, we must be strong, and patient," I replied.  
  
The two officers left to tend to the legion, and started off with them, but then I heard a voice. Not from the officers, but from the gentle sandstorm behind me. I looked back, and saw nothing. I turned around and headed into the swirling sand, and I saw a rock chasm ahead. I figured that it was just a slacking soldier playing a joke. I drew my gladius blade and prepared to discipline him. I walked through the chasm and saw no one. I second voice called. This time, it was female. And it was more clear.  
  
"Come to us, Pious Augustus," it said, echoing a couple of times. This honestly scared me. Not only had we taken vows to enlist no female soldiers, but the voice sounded near, yet it echoed like it was yelled from miles off. I walked through a small canyon that widened into endless desert. I saw an odd rock formation up ahead. It looked like the one that had been described to me. This piqued my curiosity, and began to worry me very badly. But I could stand it no longer. I headed over to it, and I saw an odd insignia in the center. I stepped onto it to examine it further, but it meant nothing in my language. I felt like heading back to fetch a translator, but then I was shocked violently by something. I turned around, and I found that I was now in a completely different place.  
  
I looked around to see an odd-looking dungeon with various hieroglyphs on the walls. They seemed similar to that on the circle I had been standing on, but now I was standing on a hard stone floor. I saw a hole in the floor, and decided that it was really the only conceivable way out of the dungeon. There was an old wooden ladder leading to the floor below. I stepped down, then found myself in a long, narrow corridor.  
  
There were what looked like blackened, charred corpses scattered on the ground before me. I walked over to one to see that it still had rotting flesh on it. Then I heard a rustling noise. I looked down the hall, and saw a corpse at the far end that appeared to be twitching. I squinted in the dust, and it slowly rose to its feet.  
  
I couldn't believe what I saw. Demons are what these were. Demons of a lost, unholy tomb that were awakened by my presence. I started to feel weak, but then I remembered that this was my duty as a legionnaire. I charged foreword and drew my gladius, preparing to slice it to pieces. I heard more scraping, and saw two more coming from behind on either side. I continued to run foreword until I was an arm's length away. It raised its withered arm and prepared to take a swing. I caught it in mid arc and chopped it off. The demon recoiled, but I wasted no time. I slashed its head off, then chopped at its body three more times until it stopped moving. I saw the other two coming, and decided to deliver a last, fineshing blow for good measure. I raised back my blade and sent it slashing down on its torso.  
  
I ran at the one on the right, and cut into its stomach, running it through completely. It swung its arm and caught me off guard, hitting me on the left arm. Thought I felt little through the armor, I recoiled at the surprisingly strong impact. I slashed it twice more, then kicked it over. The second one lunged at me. I stuck my blade into its torso and threw it on top of the other. As they struggled to get up, I hacked down into their backs several times until they were once again part of the gloomy scenery. I noticed a small block under it. I kicked the corpse aside, then picked it up, happy that it seemed relatively untouched. It had a strange, familiar red symbol on the top.  
  
I left the hall to a small area with a pedestal in the center, with a green stone block on it, and two more demons flanking it. I ran at one and knocked it down, then stomped its body and severed both arms. I severed the arms of the other one as well, and then I took off the head. I died instantly. That particular pattern seemed to work rather nicely. I stabbed the other one in the torso to stop its unpleasant writhing. My blade was slick with an unpleasant, slimy red blood that seemed darker than normal, almost black. I picked up the second stone block, sure that it would come in handy sooner or later.  
  
A door to my right lead me into a similar, wider hallway that was swarming with demons. I fearlessly hacked and slashed until the two nearest were dead. The other three were closing in, and one reached out to punch me. I blocked, but instead, he hit the demon in front of him, knocking it over. I stabbed out twice, then took its head off with a clean slice. The last one grabbed me from the side, and slowly pulled its rotting head and sharp teeth toward me. I pulled away, then I put all my weight into a shove that sent it sprawling next to the other downed one.  
  
The two of them got back up, when the headless demon swung a blind punch and knocked one of them down again. It was a blessing to be cursed with such clumsy foes. I sliced them both to pieces, then stomped the body of the other to a pulp with my heavy iron boots. I picked up a third block in the floor, this time blue. I figured that these might lead to, or even be, the treasure. I noticed that the only way out was, again, a ladder to the right.  
  
As I stumbled down in my cumbersome armor, I came to a t-shaped corridor. A single demon lay in wait. I took care of him quickly and saw that the left door was barred off. Instinctively, I went right.  
  
I entered a large, circular room with a pedestal in the center. A pedestal that was surrounded by a small moat of lava, and five demons that were quickly alerted to my presence. I ran into the room, set down my blocks and prepared to fight. Two were already on me. I pushed past them and crossed the bridge over the lava to the pedestal. This time, it would be a downhill battle. The demons turned and stumbled over the bridge. One of them overshot and stumbled over the side, dipping and scalding a leg in lava. I waited for two to come across, before pushing and kicking one in. The entire body fell, making little splash, then sizzled and popped until it was indeed charred black. I prepared to punish the second similarly, when the remaining two came from behind. One hit me in the back. The other bit down hard onto my shoulder plate, breaking its teeth. I swerved around the pedestal, then charged back, knocking another one headfirst into the lava. I slashed the other one with almost mocking fury, then ran it through cleanly and let it fall to the ground. I noticed that a fourth, purple cube was on the pedestal. I grabbed it and took off. I saw the one- legged demon writhing and squirming, on fire. I stabbed it for good measure and walked across the small bridge again.  
  
I then noticed that on the walls to the sides of the door leading out, there were four massive symbols chalked on the walls. Each one had a cube- shaped hole below it. Four cube-shaped holes, four stone cubes. It was too simple. I gathered up all 4 cubes, then pushed them into the opening of their respective color and symbol. Once all were in, I'd expected for something important to happen. But nothing did, although I'd sworn I heard sliding stone somewhere.  
  
I went back to try and cut open the bars to the left side door, when I noticed that the bars were gone. I went on to find a small round room with a peculiar statue, but the part that really disturbed me was that it seemed to be modeled after me. I walked towards it, and looked around to see a closed door. I stood in front of it. Something told me to do something, but I was not quite sure what. I slashed at it, taking off its arm. As the arm clattered to the floor, I noticed that the door behind it slid gently open about a quarter way. It was very odd. I slashed off the other arm, then the head, and it opened almost fully. I finished off the torso with a downward chop, and the door opened the rest of the way. I walked through, and found myself in a dusty, cold clearing.  
  
I looked up and saw a small portal of blue sky. I then looked around to see a large circle in the floor, a glowing button on the wall and 3 more demons. I decided not to bother. I went over to explore the button. I put both arms on it and pressed it in. I turned around to see 3 tall, thin pillars surround the circle in the middle of the floor. Energy pulsed through it. I briskly walked past the shuffling demons and touched the light. Nervous, I picked up a stone and threw it in. The stone became briefly illuminated and disappeared. Was this a trap or a way out? I pushed my Gladius in, then pulled it out all the way. I decided it was safe enough, so I walked in, and a blinding light sent me elsewhere.  
  
I awoke in what seemed like a final, dead-end chamber with 3 pedestals surrounding an all-too common circle in the floor. I looked back to see a solid wall. No door, no light, nothing. I headed foreword, and was surprised to see 3 glowing artifacts on the pedestals. One was red, and it resembled a worm-like creature with two large claws. Another was blue, and it looked like a delicate, pretty blue shell. The last was a dark green angel. They all looked beautiful to me, and I knew, somehow, that they were what I was seeking. I reached out and touched the red one. It gently burned my hand. I recoiled, then touched the other two. They did the same. I began to feel tired and irritable. My face grew heavy with touching them. I then noticed that there was no purple artifact, like there was stone block. My skin began to burn. I reached out to touch the red one again. I suddenly felt the urge to bring it closer. I pulled it off the pedestal, then brought it to my face. My body felt like it was on fire. I let go, and a red light blinded my eyes. My skin seemed like it was hardening and becoming brittle and dry. I tried to touch myself, but my fingers were withered and bony. I fell to the floor. Sparks danced between my eyes as I lay there, suffering, wondering what horrible spell I had been bewitched with.  
  
After a short while, I began to realize what had happened and why. It all suddenly came to me, what my destiny was, whom I was to serve, and what I would be doing for millennia to come. I felt a new rush of power flow through me as I slowly climbed to my feet.  
  
To think that once I could not see beyond the veil of our reality, to see those who dwell behind. My life now has purpose, for I have learned the frailty of flesh and bone. I was once a fool.  
  
Aeons have passed since then, and I have learned much. Chattur'gha'spower filled me, invigorating my dead body. With a touch, I could level buildings, rend the ground asunder, and channel power such as mortal men could only dream. I looked up at the ceiling of the tomb, preparing to shatter a good, neat hole in the top. I shouted one last phrase into the darkness.  
  
"Face me and you shall surely perish!" 


	3. Finding Ellia's chapter page

Alex put down the book, feeling dazed and a little scared. She flipped through the pages to find odd tales and texts of many kinds, but she noticed that even though there were what looked like chapter labels on the tops of the pages, she never did seem to come to the chapter interfaces. She studied the pages between each chapter, and saw, deep in between the pages, what looked like fine, gently tear lines from pages that were seemingly ripped out. The book had stopped glowing, and was now as dull and lifeless as the other books of the study. She lifted the front cover and slammed it shut, then prepared to walk out and try to fix the key to search the upstairs a bit. Something caught her eye. It was a frame just to the right of the door. There was no picture, but a piece of paper in it. It was glowing in the same benign, heat-less way that the book had been at first. She decided to pick up the frame and pry it open. She gently slid the paper out, which was almost soft, and certainly very old. The writing was barely legible, but she could now see that it was written in the same manner as the book. She looked at the top of the page, and sure enough, it had the chapter heading. At the uppermost center, it had a larger, bolder print, which was presumably showing the beginning of another chapter. She sat down again and opened the book, flipping through the pages until the headings matched that of the book. She found the neat tear where it had been torn out and placed it inside the book. The book began to glow again. The began reading the text, and the whole world blacked out before her. 


	4. Ellia Tarom: The Binding of the Corpse G...

I have to say that my life has been a boring little romp since I'd decided to stay with my family here at Ankgor Thom. I've rarely anything to do, and all I'm really useful for now is knitting wool for my little brother and neighbors. I did not like being looked down upon just because I was a 3rd daughter, but it stood.  
  
I am really a dancer, but ever since the last of the Holy Roman Empire had savaged our village, I had been out of commission. I was meandering out in the woods outside of our abode, and I had nothing to do. I decided to pick up an old book written by one of our elders called The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion. It showed me just why my ancestors believed in the things they did, where they got most of our ideas from, and why they used myths and such to make up for occasional lack of knowledge.  
  
I liked to wander around in the woods and listen to the wildlife, using my ornamental sword to hack away at branches and pretend that I was on some sort of fantastic adventure, though I'd pretty much known that nothing would ever really come true. And if it did, I was almost sure that I wouldn't really like it. When I had been out a couple miles, I decided to sit down a while and read some more. I sat there for what seemed like hours, sweeping over the horrible mistakes of humankind, particularly shocked at the Roman Crusades. Tearing across Europe, slaughtering anyone whom refused to convert. I was glad that horrible Charlemeign went so quickly. I'd also read a tale about a powerful warlord who would entomb the world in chaos after several centuries of suffering. It was very powerful and dramatic. I began reading it out loud to myself.  
  
"Thy time is done, Great Ancient. Forever in shadow will you be, Master of Chaos, and to fade to nothing in obscurity will be thy fate. My master has planned many millennia for this day. It is the true chaos of all things that you must now be entombed amongst the beings of flesh and bone... "  
  
The words were stirring, and I wondered if such a thing could ever actually happen. I sat there, pondering, when I heard a distant, low rumble. I looked ahead, only to see a great wall of foliage in front of me. The rumbling continued, and I could now hear several distant, underground 'thump's. Bits of rock crumbled off the wall ahead. Rock? I looked closer at the foliage to see that there was a smooth wall underneath. I put down my book, and circled around to the side to get a better look.  
  
"Not even these mythical fables can keep me amused," I said to myself. "There has to be something to do around here. I only wish that something that fantastic, and of higher purpose, could happen to me..."  
  
As I circled the wall, babbling to myself, I was startled to see a large hole in the foliage. I walked up to it and looked aside. It lead deep inside, obviously unnatural, and there was a gentle, warm breeze emanating from it. I could make out the faintest glow of what looked like lit torches.  
  
Stepping inside, a rather sour and musty odor assaulted my nose. It had smelled as if it were built centuries ago, and was just left there to rot. The floor was very dusty, spotted with various molds here and there, and the statue of a large, ugly goddess of a sort stood at the end of the room. As I took it all in, I decided to leave and tell the others about it. I might find something interesting. But then, I heard the sound of sliding stone. I looked back to see that the door had shut. Uh-oh. I had no suspicion of this being some sort of trap.  
  
I walked up to the stone goddess. It had four arms, several breasts and a very large, oddly shaped nose. I noticed a red, glowing necklace around its neck. It looked terribly suspicious. I had a grim feeling that it might be some sort of trap. I looked to the sides of the room to see two open passageways to my sides. Curiosity had me caught. I slipped my finger around the necklace and slipped it off the statue's neck. I instantly heard sliding stone and a thump, and I saw that one of the passageways, the one on the right had closed. Okay. I knew my only option. I stepped down and carried the necklace with me, walking into the dark of the passage.  
  
After a short venture, I came to a smallish room with a cute little shrine of three candles at the center and another passage to the left. I saw that the first two were lit, matching the position of the sun emblem above it. It was just beginning to rise. I stepped off to the other passage, when something brushed my leg. I shrieked. I looked down to see a blackened, stringy corpse curled up on the ground. I gasped, and a terrible feeling came over me. What was this horrible temple here for? Who had died and left his rigid remains on the floor here? I dismissed the thought, and ran into the other room.  
  
A long hallway lay ahead. It was littered with the same grotesque corpses. I proceeded to run, when I felt the stone underneath my foot press downward. A blade whizzed out in front of me, nearly giving me a heart attack. It came out from the side, slicing into a contour in the floor, then sliced down again in a syncopated rhythm. I ducked through, then gently stepped through, avoiding the pressure plates that would probably only continue to set off more horrible traps. The dim torches on the walls made way to the passage at the end, which lead into another, similar room.  
  
I instantly stopped. There, in the center, was a tall, muscular man with his back facing me. He was wearing red clothing, and I could only barely make out the intricate details on it. I stepped foreword slowly, fearfully, and he turned to me. I stopped dead in my tracks. This was not a man. He had a humanoid shape, yes. But he seemed to be missing just about all of his skin. Red veins throbbed visibly through his muscles as he shuffled towards me. I smelled his horrible breath. It made me weak. I looked into his sunken , skeletal face. I drew my blade, and backed down. He didn't stop. I decided that he wouldn't acknowledge a plea for mercy, so I swiped at his head. His neck severed, and with much bleeding, his head dropped off. But he didn't die, he just stood there, swinging wildly at me. I ran around behind him, and he didn't seem to follow. I stabbed the blade into his back repeatedly. Its thick, tough flesh wasn't very badly damaged. I shredded it with difficulty as I plunged it back in several more times. It was badly torn up. Then I noticed that there was a swelling, red lump growing out of its neck. It looked suspiciously like. the back of another head.  
  
I couldn't understand how a creature could be so strong, let alone regrow its own head. How? Why would he just be here, waiting for me? It turned around again. I flanked it, the slashed its arm, followed by a combo of slashed that I'd learned from my father, designed to intimidate the enemy sword fighter. I knew that wouldn't help much, but the slicing had opened up most of its bleeding chest. It fell down, writhing, and I applied a final, powerful blow to its back. My legs were shaking. I wanted to sit down and cry. But then I noticed another shrine of candles. This time, the sun was up in the middle of the sky, and the two candles on the sides were lit. I frowned, then picked up a twig on the ground and pressed against the first candle. I then lit the one in the middle, and gently smothered the other two with my blade. My blade, covered in filthy blood and rivets of flesh.  
  
I heard the familiar sound of more sliding stone, and saw that a door to the side of the room was gently sliding open. But then it stopped about a third-way. Odd, I thought. I looked over it to see another hallway, but I couldn't squeeze through, thanks to my losing my dancer's figure. I fell back, bumping into an urn and causing to the clatter to the ground beside me. I saw something shiny. It was a pretty bronze necklace, but it didn't shine or glow with the odd potency mine did. I remembered that other passage that closed when I took the red one. Maybe, just maybe if I put this less interesting one onto the neck of the goddess, it would open up the passage again. It was really my only hope, as that had been the only alternative route I'd come across. I started back to the entrance chamber.  
  
I creeped back through that dreaded hallway, careful not to set off any of the traps. As I entered the first candle room, I remembered th at corpse on the ground, and took caution not to step on it. But it wasn't there. I was briefly relieved before a horrible feeling of dread washed over me. What does it mean if something's not there anymore? It moved. I heard a scraping noise all around me. What I saw when I looked up made my bones freeze. That corpse, along with two others I guess I hadn't noticed, were standing in the middle of the room. Their feet scraped as they walked, explaining the noise. I pulled out my sword, but hesitated. Could it be avoided? There were three of them. Only one was directly in front of the exit. I wasted no time, and ran towards that one. I sliced his body aside, briefly relieved that its flesh wasn't nearly as rough as the red monster's, then ran out the door. I sped into the main chamber, ran up to the goddess and placed the bronze necklace around its neck. Looking back, I saw that none of the monsters had left the room, and that the door to the room on the other side had slid back open.  
  
I did not want to continue. I don't want to face another room full of unholy, scabbing monsters. I guess there was only one faint glimmer of hope in this disaster. I hurried to the opening, and noticed that the room was identical to the one on the other side, candles and all. I slipped on the smooth granite tile, fell foreword, and scraped my legs. Luckily, the floor was smooth, and no skin was sheared off. My blade clattered on the floor some feet away. I looked up, and my heart took another leap. There, right above me, was another horrible, rotting creature. These things were terrible! But this one was even worse. It had a disgusting, blue tone to its skin, and its face was a dank, purple pit of death and misery. I stumbled back as it bent over, its clammy arms reaching toward me to strangle me. throttle me. to make me one of him!  
  
I could barely get a hold of myself. I grabbed my blade, stood up and circled it quickly to hit it from the back. I had to get away from the eyes! They were taking a hold of me! I stabbed the monsters back. It groaned irritably then tried to face me the other way. I changed direction, stabbing it a second time. My blade was soaked with a disgusting, squishy black blood. The monster groaned again much louder, almost a roar. A trickle of vile fluid dripped from its mouth. I gashed it a third time, and it began making a low, deep moan. I stood there, wondering just what it could mean. Why would a monster sing?  
  
His eyes! They were glowing. pulsating with a horrible shine! A shine that meant death and decay!  
  
I grew very tired and dizzy. It seemed as if the entire room around me had become tilted at a steep angle. I had a bad pang in my stomach. I collapsed on the floor by its feet. What? What's feet? I didn't even notice. Then, a blast of blue light filled the room. The monster exploded, guts and rivets of skin flying everywhere. Most went outward, but I was right under it, and got a healthful supply of rotten blue flesh.  
  
Ah! Get it off me! It's eating my skin! Crawling all over my insides!  
  
I sat back up, wiped as much off as possible and tried to stand. My legs felt more solid now, I felt more balanced, and the floor seemed properly upright. Shivering, I walked out into another horrible trap hallway. I watched carefully for those trap plates on the ground, but they were everywhere, and my legs felt so clammy. I stepped on one, and ducked, expecting one of those horrible blades to cut me in half. Nothing happened. I heard a whipping noise. I looked ahead to see arrows flying back and forth inside the hallway. I hurriedly scurried across the floor, making sure to keep my head below the flow of arrows. Stepping on the pressure plates only seemed to activate arrows. But then I saw two outlined sections of the wall smash together. The noise bolted me upright, and a horrible, shocking pain shot through my stomach. I crouched down again, then saw the feathered back of an arrow sticking out of my body. Oh, Lord no. I felt numb now, but the pain was beginning to return, and I was the blood oozing down my midriff. I prayed, silently crying to myself, that I would somehow get it out of me and live. I took that pretty red necklace out and squeezed it, watched it shine, happy that my last days would be spent looking at something beautiful. But then the red light grew very bright, and I heard a deep, growling voice. It sounded like it said "Narrow-cat, Sand-tech, Chit-gurgle." I wondered, what would that nonsense mean? Or maybe I heard it wrong.  
  
Then I noticed that the pain in my stomach was gone. The blood was gone, and the arrow. what had happened to the arrow? I heard something clatter by my feet. There it was, still covered in my blood, and completely outside my body. Just as if it had been removed. The smashing stone brought me back to my senses, and I waited until it was just opening, then dashed through into the next chamber.  
  
This was another little candle shrine. I realized that I'd forgot to position the other one, but there was no way I would go back through that hallway. I saw a door that was partly way open, just like the other one. But there was no sun engraving above the shrine, just empty stars. No sun, two candles lit. What would that mean? That would mean that none of the candles should be lit, or course.  
  
I blew them out, praying that I had made the right decision, and winced at the dark that had swept over the room. I heard the door slide open, and the warm torchlight of another hall filled it. It was another hallway full of traps, but these were much easier to avoid. I saw a skeletal figure shuffling toward me a ways away, but then it stepped on a pressure plate. The blade swung out in front of it, but it was oblivious as it shuffled slowly. I mockingly walked toward it, but then I noticed to my side a pedestal in a small clearing. I walked up to examine it, and saw that there was what looked like a gnarled flute placed on top, next to a small box. I heard a scraping noise, followed by rather unpleasant scrapes, and I looked back to see that the blade had mutilated the creature. Good riddance I thought, and I went back to the blowgun. I examined the walls to make sure that no blades or arrows cut me down. No holes whatsoever. I picked up the blowgun, heard a snap, and the floor under me gave out. I threw up my blade, looked down to see straw rushing up to me and landed with a rough but softened impact.  
  
Shaking my head, I got up and heard a clatter beside me. My sword had hit the floor and broken into three pieces, the tip firmly stuck in the floor. The handle was attached to a tiny, useless sliver of metal. I heard screaming around the corner. I looked out to see two of those horrible red giants attacking someone. A human, what looked like a guard. I saw his spear a few feet away, behind the advancing monsters. I remembered my blowgun, brought it to my lips and aimed it carefully. I blew hard, and the dart shot out and struck it in the back. It didn't notice. The guard clambered around it, but not before getting punched hard in the stomach by one of them. The two turned to face us. I picked up the box from where I had landed, then forcefully opened it to find more darts. Useless! I saw the man make a dash for his spear, then noticed that one of the monsters was walking funny. It limped gently, sagging to the left with each step, then fell to its left side. It writhed on the ground, gurgling, and I suddenly remembered that these darts were poisonous. I loaded the tiny dart into the tube, aimed and blew again, hitting the other monster in the face. It didn't notice. Then I realized that it was closer than I'd thought. It reached out and punched me in the stomach. I fell on the ground, struggling for air. It had been a very hard blow, worse than I had ever suffered, and its fist seemed hard as a rock. The monster bent down towards me, then collapsed from the poison.  
  
I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't obey. The guard came over and gave me a hand, hoisting me up. I recognized him as a friend of my father's. I was suddenly very relieved. I held him close, felt his real, human muscles against mine and wished that he'd protect me forever. I looked over at my blade on the ground, then picked it up and examined it.  
  
"Do you want me to fix this?" he asked.  
  
"No, you shouldn't have to trouble yourself. It's alright," I said.  
  
"No, it's easy, a man has taught me another way." he lifted the broken fragments of the sword, then his body became incased in a purple light. It uttered another three-phrase chant, similar to the one I had heard from my necklace, but it was in a quiet, whispery voice. The blade became bathed in the light, then reformed before my very eyes. The light gently leaked from the cracks, then disappeared altogether, leaving behind that familiar, solid sheen.  
  
"How did you do that?" I asked  
  
"I swore I wouldn't tell. But that's not important right now," he replied.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Nevermind. Just go," he said, followed by a sweeping gesture toward the other hall in front of me.  
  
I reached my arms out to hug him again, but he shied away, then walked back into the corner, spear in hand. I just stood there until I heard the traps being set off. I looked back ahead to see a skeletal monster flipping the traps. He was quickly sliced as the other had been. I ran through the traps as quickly as I could without falling again, and stepped into a very large area with mysterious murals on the walls. They looked interesting, if not a bit sinister, and I had no idea just what they might mean. I noticed a large dome in the center of the room, fire coming out of the top, and a small slot in the bottom of it. Then I noticed two more of the thin, bony figures I'd commonly seen. I ran past them, taking advantage of the large space in the room, and groaned loudly as another trap hallway spread out before me. I carefully skipped over the plates in what I hoped would be the last of such hallways, and I came to another mural room. It was in the same manner as the last, with the large dome in the center, but the murals were different. Last time, it was a large demon erupting from a pit and being worshipped. This time it was what looked like a skeletal demon torturing that demon with some sort of wicked spell. My thoughts were interrupted with the groans and growls of four more monsters in the room. They didn't seem to notice me. In fact, as I looked more carefully, I could see that three were red, one was blue, and they were advancing on each other. The three reds ganged up and began punching the blue one, beating its body and causing blood to splatter everywhere. But then that blue monster began moaning that song I'd heard before, loudly, with the blue light by its eyes. Its stomach seemed to bulge out. It exploded in a bluish shock wave, cutting the bodies of the red ones in half. The severed halves writhed a little, then stopped moving.  
  
I went on to a huge chamber with thick, dusty air and what looked like an irregular shrine in the center. It seemed to lift and fall, with odd markings and textures all over the structure. I went in for a closer look. The view was briefly obscured by a woman's stature holding a rod. The dust seemed to clear a little, and what I saw scared and disturbed me ever further. The chamber was alive. The walls, the floor, the shrine itself, it was all made of a sickening red flesh that rose and fell with a heavy breathing sound. I saw at the top of the shrine, a large, gasping, hideous circular mouth. The mound itself was dotted with what appeared to be numerous, smaller mouths, along with random eyes and folds of flash. All of them gasped, blinked and shuddered in an ungodly rhythm that sent chills through every inch of my body. I walked closer to the monstrosity, and two guards came out from behind me.  
  
"Don't go near it," said one of them. He advanced, but then two large tentacles reached out and grabbed him and his partner around the waist. They lifted him into the air, then carried them off to the sides where I couldn't see them. I shivered and ducked, hoping to escape whatever it would do to me. But the tentacles didn't return.  
  
"So, you are reduced to feeding on flesh and bone, Mantorok. How the mighty have fallen. You will surely fester for millennia to come. A slow torturous fate for thee."  
  
I was surprised to hear a loud, deep voice right beside me. It was a man that might have been a guard, but oddly enough, he wore the armor of an ancient Roman legionnaire. He carried a staff which resembled a human vertebrae. I could barely catch a glimpse of his face, but I could tell that he was old, and his skin was in an unhealthy state. He turned to me.  
  
"You had best leave, young fool," he said sharply, "or you will find yourself as food for the Dead God!"  
  
I wanted to ask him what was going on, and why he was here, but he turned and briskly left. I didn't want to end up as food for anything, particularly not this hideous mass, so I quickly raced around it to the exit. It was locked. I cursed loudly, then walked back to the front to look for a key or anything that might get me out. I looked at the statue again. It seemed a thing of beauty, oddly contrasting the rest of the room. It seemed to stare back at me, with an oddly purple gaze. Wait, purple? The next thing I knew, I was on my back.  
  
I could not move an inch. I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an old man walking toward me. It wasn't a guard, or that funny little man I had seen earlier, but a balding, dark-haired man with a staff and a bad limp.  
  
"You are one of the chosen many," he said in a soft, almost inhuman voice. He added, "flesh and blood."  
  
He bent over and grabbed my shoulders, then hoisted me into the steps leading to the statue, and spoke again. I could now feel most of my upper body, but could not move very much.  
  
"It is now your destiny to fight the Eternal Darkness." He held out a black object that throbbed unpleasantly in his hands.  
  
I struggled to lift my head, and could now feel every nerve in my body.  
  
"I give you a give in return for an obligation. The gift is your life, sweet dancer. The obligation is this." He placed it into my arms, and it floated gently, thankfully not coming into direct contact with my skin.  
  
You hold one of Mantorok's hearts. The Essence of the Corpse God. To some it is a source of great power. From those people you must defend it, lest they use it to destroy what little brightness your world has left in it. Guard it well," he said as he slowly turned and walked away.  
  
I wanted to ask him what this really was, and what the Hell was going on, but I couldn't seem to speak. The object pushed away from my body, then slammed into my chest. I grabbed at it, but it had disappeared. Almost as it if were sucked into my body. I couldn't feel any extra or unusual organs, however, and so I decided to get up and look for that key. Trying to figure things out at this point would only hurt my head. I guess I could try and look it up in my book, or maybe ask one of my neighbors about it.  
  
I saw that statue behind me again, looked at the spear, and noticed that the edge of the rod it was holding was studded, in the same manner as a key. I lifted it off the statue's arms, remembering that odd slit she had seen earlier. It was very small, obscure. I decided to try and see if this rod would fit inside, as there was no keyhole on the door out.  
  
I was relieved to see that the halls were empty, but the large mural chambers were littered with monsters of red skin, and there seemed to be more than before. I was quite used to them by now, but every time I looked into their eyes, I got a sick feeling, one that reminded me of how badly I wanted to leave. When I finally got to the first room containing the pot, it was guarded by four of them. I quickly pulled out my blowgun, loaded it and fired, hitting each one of them once, and dodging around the room whenever they got close. It took unusually long for them to go down, but once they did, I stepped over their husks to the dome. I inserted the pole into it, and it seemed to click into place at an upward angle. I pulled it down much minor difficulty, and I heard that familiar sound of distant, sliding stone.  
  
I backtracked a final time, and as I got toward the chamber at the end, I felt sick again. I wanted desperately to leave, and to never remember it. I didn't care if any of my friends believed me. I just wanted to breathe the sweet jungle air and take a good, long drink of water. I was sure that I would never be surprised by anything again. I approached the horrid room full of flesh again, and I walked around to the door. I thanked the gods that it was open, and I prepared to leave.  
  
But dread came over me as I came to a dead end. There was nothing but a small room with another woman statue in the center. I looked around for anything-a door, a window, a passage. but there was no way out. I would have to go back and look for one of those old men and ask them for a way out. I looked back, and to my surprise and relief, the armored man was standing there with two guards. One was the guard who I had saved. I started to ask him, but the armored man cut me off.  
  
"Fool! You should have run! Instead you will die! Where is the Essence of Mantorok?"  
  
I barely knew what he was talking about, but I had a feeling it was that heart the other man had given me. He said to guard it, and I had another feeling, that being that he probably didn't want this hysterical man to have it. In the brighter torchlight, I would now see the armored man's face clearly. It was practically a skeleton. His skin was dry and not exactly rotten, but rather withered and looking very old. He had dark, dead eyes, and his teeth were bared in a skeletal grin. I wanted to protest, but the guards advanced on me. The guard I knew grabbed me by the shoulder and held me into place, hissing like an animal.  
  
"Where is it? I will not ask again, child!" he yelled louder. I remained silent, not wanting to let down the other man who had entrusted that foul heart to me. After what I had seen and faced today, I knew that I could just as easily put up with death threats.  
  
"Very well, then," he said with a low, dangerous growl, "You will succumb to the horrors of oblivion..."  
  
He reached out his vertebrae-staff, and a blinding light flashed through my head. It burned horribly, blinding me and seemingly frying my brain. I fell to me knees, screaming, and at the same time wondering just what that Mantorok was. 


	5. Finding Anthony's chapter page

Alex felt more uncomfortable than ever in this dilapidated old tomb. The second passage in the tome had been much more unpleasant than the first, and it made her wonder if anything like the tale told could actually be real. She closed the book again, wondering how many chapters were hidden in the study. Opening the book again, she flipped to the end of the second chapter, then looked at the next page to see that the third chapter page was indeed missing, torn out and leaving a small trail of shredded paper in the center of the page. She had to find that page. The book seemed boring, uninteresting and pointless without the beginning of each chapter. She couldn't even remember being able to read Latin before.  
  
She noticed that it seemed lighter in the study than before. Looking over to the table on her right, she noticed that the three candles on it were lit in the same way that they had been in the book. She walked over, and saw that there was even a sun symbol over it. The sun was setting on the left side of the picture. That meant that she would have to leave the left candle on only.  
  
She blew out the right and middle ones, and the door in the cabinet below slid open. Inside, there was a glowing chapter page. At first she thought was on fire, but it quickly stopped shimmering when she slipped it gently into its place at the beginning of chapter three. It all hit her very quickly, and she was now ready to venture further into the very unpleasant tale. 


	6. Anthony Odiron: Suspicians of Conspiracy

I really do enjoy serving the Emperor Charlemeign. Though I have to say that it is not the immerse adventure I'd once though it was in my squire days, it was indeed a vast relief to not know that I'd be polishing the boots of sir bread-and-water for the rest of my days. I am quite fit to be a crusader myself, but I did not have the heart to go crashing through villages and committing the most dreadful acts of anti-Semitism. I knew that whatever strife I face here would be limited to foolishly brave thieves and bitter politicians who would like to take a shot at our Lord's superior policies.  
  
Things have always been fair at the Oblie Cathedral here in Amiens. I would deliver messages to and from our Emperor, and I would attend meetings to which purpose I couldn't begin to imagine. It was really more than I'd deserved. But things had seemed to change a little bit lately. What was once for the good of the people was now for the good of the empire. What once might have been a break in taxes for a region might now be more pocket money for the hierarchy. And I knew that it wasn't necessarily the emperor's fault, but rather a fault in human nature. I'd heard of many empires of the past, most of which collapsed because of petty squabbles between races and the undoing of mankind. And whenever a breakthrough had come, a selfish person would move to stifle it.  
  
I am now heading down to my quarters after a long meeting with some new members of the church. Many monks come and go over the months. Some move on to pursue activity in other or higher areas of the empire. I personally do not see what could be more important that the very talks which will decide the future of a large part of the world. I have been summoned by Brother Jasper, who has an important message to be delivered. Of course, being the messenger, it was my potency to make sure that nothing, whether it be a vial of the plague or a terrible curse, should harm the emperor. One such mishap had already happened, and though we were absolutely sure that nothing was wrong, the bishop was quick to order the guards to cremate what might have been a very beautiful solar clock.  
  
"Deliver this to our lord and Emperor, Charlemeign the Frank. No one but him must see it. There are words for his eyes only. At once!" said Brother Jasper to me as if it were very urgent. He handed a small scroll to me.  
  
I would have asked him what it was had he not ducked away quickly to avoid confrontation. Brother Jasper had always been very faithful, but today he seemed different. His face looked darker and his eyes looked as if he had been up very late. I knew that I should trust no one. I ducked into a corner and took the seal off, then opened the scroll and saw odd- looking sigils. I wondered if they could be some sort of witchcraft, and as if on cue, a bright blast of yellow light shot out and hit me in the face. It didn't burn, or even leave a luminescence in my eyes, but the impact seemed to kick me back against the wall. I stood up again, surprised by the ordeal.  
  
"What sorcery is this, s spell? I am bewitched! If this was meant for Charlemeign, then what will become of him? I have to warn him of this treachery," I exclaimed.  
  
I ran off to the main hall of the cathedral. Inside, there was the usual quiet group of monks who were praying to our lord. I went over to the meeting chamber and rattled the locked door. I banged on it and yelled, but no one had come to answer. Finally, I was asked to be quiet by one of the monks. Looking over, I have noticed that everyone in the chapel seems sad about something.  
  
"What is wrong, brother?" I whispered to him as I walked over to the pew.  
  
"Brother Martin, loyal 30-year follower of the church has died a most horrible death," he replied.  
  
"Brother Martin? How come? What has happened to him?"  
  
"Apparently, he's fallen off of a high tower on this chapel."  
  
"A tower? That is how he's ended his life? But why? Surely you couldn't do this by accident," I said, not believing that anyone, particularly such a smart and careful person, could be so foolish as to merely jump over two guard rails and throw himself off. The monk stared at me silently, then resumed his prayer. I had a rather bad feeling that he, or someone in this church, was trying to hide something. I walked over to the priest.  
  
"Messenger, what dost thou beseech this morn?"  
  
"Oh nothing," I said. I'd intended to let my curiosity get the best of me to see just what had actually happened. The priest looked away, and I sneaked around him to the coffin on the altar. It was clearly Brother Martin's coffin. I looked around to make sure that nobody was looking. No one was. I placed my hand on the side and lifted the top. What I'd seen was a little more than what I'd expected. Martin's body looked as if an ogre had run it through with a blade the size of a table. More realistically, it looked as if something had burst from his insides and ripped him open. His stomach had a deep, vile pit in it, and it seemed like most of his organs were missing. There were innumerable cuts and gashes in his upper and lower body. No fall from any structure, save the top of Mount Olympus (pardon my inclusion of Greek mythology in this) could cause this to someone's body.  
  
"What art thou doing? Stop!" yelled the priest, who had heard my unwitting exclamation. I froze, and the other monks and him walked over to the coffin and looked inside. They were as aghast as I was. We stood there for a minute, while the monks speculated with the priest on what had happened. Some thought it was a murder, but I was now sure that something deeper, more sinister was involved. Before I knew it, almost everyone had left, and a monk stood before me.  
  
"You have proven what we have feared the most. This man has been a victim of great evil! Look how his body has been defiled," he said as he cast his hand toward the mangled corpse, "as if something has burst out from inside of him! Here, take this for your protection," he said as he handed me a short blade. "And find the bishop! He must be informed of this horrible discovery," he added as he walked off.  
  
I stood there, all of a sudden feeling very excited, but frightened just the same. Had that monk taken this a little bit melodramatically, or was I just being a fool? Had lifting up the lid of that coffin out of my own curiosity really set off the cathedral so strongly? I felt sick for opening the coffin in the first place. I examined the weapon the monk had given me. It was short, thick and heavy, almost like a meat cleaver. But it was also sharpened on both sides, and the blade narrowed down to a triangular tip. And just why would a monk of the church be packing this ugly weapon? There were too many questions running through my head and nothing close to an answer. I decided to head upstairs to look for the key to the meeting chamber.  
  
As I walked up, I noticed something odd. The light in front of me flickered, as if the stairs were an apparition. I dismissed it, but it only got stronger. It rippled and shook, and I tried to stop, but I tripped foreword into it. Everything went back to perspective, but looking ahead, I saw a massive shrine on the end of a long bridge, lined with pedestals. I looked back to see that the stairs were gone, and that I was no longer in a temple, but a massive hall of a sort. On the sides of the bridge was an empty abyss. I walked slowly foreword, trying not to stumble by again and making an attempt to absorb my surroundings. There were two statues at the start of the bridge. One was of a beautiful young woman, barely clad and carrying a short, narrow blade. The other was broken in half, and the bottom displayed what looked like an armored 'skirt' mail and two sandled feet. I tried to convince myself that these had no significance whatsoever. I walked along, and casually glanced at the floor in front of me. What I saw had shocked me.  
  
The floor is lined with faces. Bald, screaming human faces that moan quietly throughout the chamber. The moans echoed through the chamber like a very disgusting mass execution. I hurried through, and as I got farther up the bridge, the faces yelled louder, and began to push out at me. I screamed, stomped some of them and ran all the way to the end. I saw in front of me a large, rotting hand on a pedestal, closed over a thick book. It slowly lifted open, as if welcoming me to take it. By now, the screams had grown unbearable, and the faces were beginning to lift me off of the floor. I grabbed it with both arms, and a series of quick, blinding images flashed through me. There were brief apparitions of people being tortured, and it ended with a grinning skeletal face. A low, unpleasant growl sounded, and I was on the stairs of the cathedral again.  
  
I shook my head, now quite understanding what had just happened. The book was in my hands, and I picked it up with one arm while making sure that the air in front of me wasn't rippling. It was perfectly still. I walked up the stairs, and into the empty third floor of the cathedral. I wasn't expecting what had hit me next. A yellow light flashed through my eyes again. This time, it burned. I felt my face, and my skin was wrinkled slightly. It also felt eerily rough and leathery. I was suddenly worried about just what that spell had done to me. I felt tired, a little more relaxed, actually. But remembering the task in hand, I scoured the room for the key. After finding nothing, I noticed a small blue urn on the shelf at the back of the room. I picked it up, and looked inside. There was a green, ceramic rune inside. Half expecting it to hit me with another curse, but relieved that it didn't, I stuffed it into my pocket. My fingers fumbled with the slippery urn and I dropped it to the ground, shattering it into pieces. I picked them up and stuffed them in too.  
  
I was going to walk back down, when I noticed a large gold coin on an altar near the bookcases. I picked it up, and thinking that it might get stolen, stuffed it deftly into my other pocket. In just a few minutes, I'd acquired a blade, a large book, a rune, a broken pot and a large coin from various sources. It was my duty as a messenger to make sure nothing got lost or left behind. The coin seemed a bit strange, however. I pulled it out again, and it shined unnaturally. I saw the palm-sized rune glowing in my pocket as well, and I placed them together. The rune spun quickly out of my hand, then seemed to get sucked into the coin. This couldn't be good, I thought. I dismissed the thought and bumped my back on something. Turning around, I noticed that one of the books on the shelf stuck out oddly, as if it had been glued in place. I pushed it back it, and what happened next came completely by surprise. The shelf to the left of me slid open, revealing a ladder that extended into a dark hallway.  
  
I decided that curiosity had taken me this far, and that I might as well continue. I walked down the ladder, and brought out my blade. I had the feeling that I was intruding, but I similar intrusion had apparently been made be two, three oddly clad people. I advanced on them in the dim, torch lit hallway, and the turned around. I could see clearly now that these weren't people. They were humanoid in appearance, yes, but they had clearly disgusting features. Their skin was green, scabbing heavily at places, and they had several openings in their bodies that revealed green, skeletal, rotting flesh. Not quite what I'd been looking for, but if they wanted a fight, I knew that I'd been trained well enough to. In almost a cliched demonic manner, they shuffled toward me, feet making a distinctive scraping noise on the ground, and I cut one in the stomach. It didn't stop. I sliced its arm off, hoping for the best, but it only groaned loudly and continued to advance. And to my terror, its arm grew back almost instantly. But not it's arm in the rotted state it was before, but rather a translucent green hologram of its arm. It reached out with the hologram and punched me across the face. It was shockingly solid, and it made blood trickle down from my rough skin. I swiped hard across its neck, taking its head off. Its head returned as a similar phantom entity. As it reached out again, I pushed my weapon into its spine. It broke in half, and fell to the ground, no longer moving.  
  
Knowing how to kill them, I turned to the others to see something interesting-another apparition, this time in the chest of another, was a floating, spinning rune similar to the one I had seen before. But shocked as I was, I didn't see their blows coming, and they knocked me to the floor. Their fists were hard enough to puncture my body and draw blood. I felt as if I had been stabbed. I cut off one's ankle, which caused it to fall, then drove the blade into its spine similarly. I got up, ducked under another punch and stabbed upward into its chest. My blade got stuck, so I kicked the handle hard. It split through the spin and caused the third and final monster to collapse.  
  
I noticed that the bodies of the monsters disappeared, but the rune I had seen did not. It lay on the ground. I picked it up and pulled out the large gold coin. I got the same eerie reaction as the other rune. It spin, flashed and sucked itself into the coin. I slipped the coin back into my pocket, and opened the door at the end of the hallway.  
  
Well, I hadn't been expecting to see a monk down here. And what a surprise, wielding a useless torch at two skeletal demons. He strikes one, and it falls backwards on fire, colliding with and burning up a large, colorful cloth that was obviously placed to conceal a door. The door is unscathed. But the fool monk drops the torch. I walk foreword, getting directly behind the demon, and I swing out with my blade, cutting off its head. It stands there, confused, and it swings blindly. I'd almost expected its head to come back green, but it doesn't. I notice that I can barely feel my body's wounds that I'd got a few seconds ago. I lift my shirt, and the bleeding wound is still there, but it's not painful in the least. The monk gives me a disgusted look. I thrust the small blade into the demons back, then pull it out and chop it to the side. The spine severs, and it writhes on the ground. The monk, who is abashed and frightened, picks up the torch and rubs it against the creature until it ignites.  
  
"Say, you could be a bit more careful," I said to him. "What are you doing down here anyway?"  
  
"Well, I've been looking for the bishop, and I stumbled across an odd trap in the bookcase upstairs. Is that how you got here?"  
  
"Yes, actually. This really isn't what I'd expected. Did you hear about Brother Martin?"  
  
"Yes. It was gruesome. But what frightened me equally was the state of the bishop. He stormed through here, eyes flashing and skin dark and scabbed. I fear that something is terribly wrong."  
  
"Really? That does sound a bit familiar. It's happened to me, I think."  
  
"Why? Do you think that you." he paused for a second, then looked at me closely. "Hmm, you did look a bit younger the last time I saw you. How did it happen?"  
  
"Well, I opened this scroll," I pulled it out to show him, "and a spray of yellow light hit my face. Nothing happened, but then that same light bathed me, and my skin and face seemed to change a little."  
  
"Well, you're certainly the bravest man I've seen save the emperor himself. If I weren't so clammy, I wouldn't have dropped all of my urns on the ground. Could you help me find them?"  
  
I stepped over into the darkened area, then raised the torch and looked around. There were groups of little colored pieces scattered on the floor. I picked them up and shoved them into my filling pockets. They looked like decorative pieces of green pottery. I went back to the monk.  
  
"Thank you," he said. "Now if you could just do me one favor, find out what's going on. I'm too cowardly to go and scour the area myself. You have obviously had some seasoned experience."  
  
"Well, thank you," I replied. "That is exactly what I plan to do." I noticed the hilt of a sword sticking out of his pocket. "What is that?"  
  
He glanced down and put his hand on it, then slid out what I had not expected to be a large, heavy broadsword. It had a narrow, straight edge on the front, and two long wrist guards and a gilded handle.  
  
"Um, I borrowed this from a knight. He's deceased now. Don't ask me why I did. But if you need it, I'll let you have it just in case."  
  
I looked down at my comparatively pathetic sword. If there was one thing I'd missed about squire training, it was using one of those swords. I walked over and took it from him.  
  
"Thank you," I said. "I'll give it back when what's done is done. If I return." I felt scared at my sating that, but it was instantly nullified by my newfound fearlessness.  
  
"Take care," he said as I left the room. I am now on a staircase. It winded down in an elegant manner. I descended slowly, cautiously, and at the bottom, there was another skeletal, shuffling demon. I picked up my sword, ran at it and sliced hard sideways. Its body severed, and looking down at the upper torso, I saw a third odd rune in its stomach. Its disintegrating body left the rune on the ground, and I grabbed it, giving it the same coin absorption treatment as the others. I entered the creaky door at the bottom.  
  
I was now in a dingy underground chamber with three demons-two skeletal, and one powerfully built red one. It was almost entertaining, looking at their colors, but what happened next was most certainly not-my face and skin started to change again. I now felt very tired, not exactly exhausted, but more drowsy and irritable. I didn't want to go on, but rather lie down and doze off for a good, long time. I did not dare feel my face, but rather run at those stupid demons, cutting two in half. Those just troubled me, those bony ones. The large red one lumbered toward me. I swiped as hard as I could at its head, hitting it in the side of the shoulder and cutting off a segment of its upper torso. It was hardly the challenge I'd fathomed. I walked up to it and thrust my sword into its stomach. It reared up and punched me hard. I fell to the floor, saw my face and body pouring blood, but felt very little. Only that gentle sting you feel when you stretch a burn mark. I would know, what with those terribly unreliable torches that travel down the handle and burn your fist. That reminded me. Had I left it in the room above? No, with my messenger's instincts, I carried it with me, and I would see it burning up the floor. I got up and skewered him again, and the demon fell.  
  
I noticed a small fountain in the corner. It was in the shape of a little devil's mouth, and it was pouring out vile water. Next to is was a small red urn filled with water. I couldn't take it, I was carrying too much. Oh well. On the way out, I tripped over something. Damn that stupid tablet. It looked like a tombstone on the ground. I studied the top and saw, in my language, that the word Xel'lotath was inscribed in it. There was a little green symbol below, looking somewhat like the first little rune I'd picked up. Interesting, but I don't want to take it with me. Too much stuff to carry. I picked up my torch and headed for the door.  
  
What's that? There's a demon in this old corridor? I was not expecting such! I ran it through, and came out in a circular room. There was a thin path connecting it to another, with bookshelves and a desk. I entered to see a man walk through a sliding door. It closed behind him. I walked up to it and looked for a handle. There was none, and I couldn't slide it open. I decided to search the area, and came up with a handful. Another stone tablet, this time with the word 'Antorbok', was lying in the corner. The symbol on it was the same, I was sure, as one of the rune's I'd found in the demon bodies. I saw a large scroll on the table. I read it, and by now, I was honestly hoping it would be a cure for my little sickness. No such luck, but it had two words on it, 'Antorbok' and Magermor'. At the top, it was labeled 'enchant item'. Was this some sort of spell? I saw the coin glowing in my pocket. Pulling it out, the three symbols of the runes I'd picked up were now painted on the front. They were labeled respectively, and there was a shimmering light, like a storm of magical energy, connecting them. It must have been a spell. I raised my sword for effect, and read out loud, "Magermor, Antorbok, Xel'lotath"! The first things I noticed were the three green symbols appearing around me on the floor. Then they shined brightly, and my sword was now illuminated with a bright green glow. Magical sparks fell off, which gave a gently warn feeling to my skin. I swung it, and it made a tearing sound like the wind.  
  
I decided to leave, and I stepped on something. Looking down, I saw a plate in the ground. It pushed downward under my weight, and it had three colorful holes in it. I heard a sliding sound behind me, and I looked back to see the door open. I stepped off, and it closed. I looked at the three holes again. Now what do I have three of that might fit in these and weigh down the thing? I pulled out the pieces of blue urn. Maybe the spell could do something to it. I looked at the spell again, and chanted it loudly. The same effects ensued, but I was quaintly surprised when the pieces of urn flew out of my hand and clattered together, forming the perfected blue pot I'd picked up earlier. I tossed it, and it was just as solid as if it were fixed. I did the same to the green pot, then remembered the red one. After unsuccessfully trying to weight it down with the tablet (it overlapped), I returned to the room with the spitting devil.  
  
I picked up the red urn. Why would it be filled up like that? Maybe the extra weight was necessary? I placed the smaller urns under the flow and filled them to the top with the rank fluid. Holding them tightly against me, I tiptoed back to the studying room and placed each of the urns into their holsters. The weight seemed just enough to press it down and activate the door. Success! I picked up my sword and torch, and walked in. And to my luck, the spell is now activating again. My face feels hard and dry. My skin is withered and blackened in some areas. I felt my face, and I would honestly feel parts of my skin splitting, revealing some of my flash and muscles to the cold air. I began to feel more tired. More tired and irritable. Worse than before. Could barely feel himself, but it, good yes because I would be pain if not for it. He spokes in the demon voice. The demon voice seems scary not but now.  
  
"So, you have come to return my book. Very well then, I will reward you with a swift and merciful death," says scary.  
  
He they lumber towards me. I cut the arms off. He scratches with sharp claws. Not feels anything! But getting tired, I fall. I cannot move, getting darker and tired. But the yellow light! It shines! I yes, getting up, but still battered. I slice his head away, I slice heads, heads slicing gone, and they're done! I've won? A little candle house, stone tablet next to it. What, little key? Bishops hiding! It!  
  
Going back, yes, very important. Important to do, warn Charlemeign! Back in the study, little skeletal attacks. Two! Weak, also. I cannot believe I waste my time. I have to warn him! Charlemeign! Still, but little scorpion. I do not want to alarm it. I creep by in all stealth! He does not hear! More? Three more. But I creep by, efficient like a Byzantine ninja! I'm going up stairs now, time and again. Will it not get old? Three more demons? Punch me, I will knock you off to your death! I will cut you. Also, I will cut you. No more body, cut in two and useless!  
  
What is this? More cursed light? I can barely see! I can not. I'm blind like a rat with wings! But I'm not blind! I can see so much! I see the ladder, yes. Oh, no, no more skin. Rot the skin! Cursed it is, I feel cleaner. Cold though. Oh, and wonderful luck. What is that? What in Hades? It's tall. Tall and but red. Now what with do claws and many heads! I feel shocked. It shocks me! With lightning that fries body this mine. I slice like a demons before. He is crushing, me it feels. But I'm not feeling now. Yes, I seem to fall, but yellow light does its job. Knows its place in this empire. But slicing not? No yes, he is falling.  
  
Back down, but not free! More demons, black and skeletal. Slicing is doing best. Stare at me? Put yes, Scramasax blade in eyes! Now, final stroke of fate? Does what now. Door to destiny! But no, he is not dead. But lying there, charred and blackened what why! How did this go? I did my job like best he's could ask me.  
  
"Charlemeign!" I scream. Yes, dramatic like pageantry. But what, I am down, but still can I hear him voice.  
  
"You are a fool for trying to save him, Anthony! His fate was decided many centuries ago, as is the fate of this world. Despite your faith, there is little to save you from the power of Chattur'gha!" He breaks open, and mantises. Claws body thin but. I'm falls asleep, too tired, no yellow light.  
  
---  
  
What you want out? I stay but. Me can not yes stay, but yours do not lift. I will sleep. Clean no, stays out! I disturb not do not want! I will not let this! Slicing, yes! Just weak like black demons! Keep down here. No, you not me being removed. Guard? I'm guard? No, I'm a messenger. I'm not guarding as asleep! No counting on it, will you? Not? Why armored? Like a knight 23 bc. Funny plate dress! No! Oddly plumed helmet, red feather? Red ruby my eye? What is. What doing what is for?  
  
---  
  
What asleep? Not restless, but try sleep. Long times, and. I can oh not move. Head is stuck! But how come. I see! I see again, yellow light is filling, yes. Its dark, can barely see! Monk! Monk is here! How can it be done? Charlemeign! Gone, dead, why? No, no! It is done! Likes maces! Spikes!  
  
"Charlemeign!" dramatic like pageantry. Yes, no but slice! Weak! Like demon no but strike, down but, what is? No not! Not me now, I have gone enough sacrifice to end his! Now, no yellow light. White, though! Kneel over me? But kneel? White now! I what?  
  
Why? 


	7. Finding Karim's chapter page

The last chapter Alex had read had made her turn pale. It left her to ponder whether or not she should avoid going any further to keep from going insane. But curiosity painfully egged her on, forcing her to get up and look around the room for any sort of clue. Pictures of churches and strange cities, with that strange wooden head and the hideous pile of human bones, but nothing particularly intriguing.  
  
As her searching in that room drew to a close, she noticed a large blade stuck in a portrait-type frame as the second chapter page had. She took it off the wall, and removed the sword. Something about the heavy weight of the steel blade and the dingy polish of its old hilt gave her a sense of security. She sliced the air, feeling the aerodynamic swish of the blade. After a brief moral battle of whether or not this would be considered stealing, she left the room to explore other areas of the house.  
  
She went over to the door to the right of the stairway. It was locked. Remembering her key, she took it out. Oh yes, it was broken. But then she remembered the strange magic used by the messenger in the story. The spell that magically fixed his pots. Could the same thing work for the key? She stuffed it back in, but felt something else. It was smooth and heavy as she picked it up. It was that gold coin that the squire had vividly described let him cast spells. She examined it for a second, looking for the odd runic symbols, and sure enough, they faded through. Like a small palm pilot, she fingered through and placed the three runes in to make the spell. The green one, Xel'lotath, and the two odd ones- presumably Antorbok and Magermor, connected, made the same electric zap. She chanted the words out loud, holding the key in her other hand.  
  
"Antorbok, Magermor, Chattur'gha!"  
  
The odd little symbols appeared on the ground, and little flecks of light bathed the key in a green glow. It pulled together, the crack in between shining before disappearing altogether, leaving the key both clean and sturdier than ever. Plugging the key in, it didn't work, but it did in the upstairs lock that had barred access to the second floor of the mansion.  
  
She opened the old twin doors to come to a dank, dusty hallway. She was assaulted by a large and very beautiful portrait on the wall in front of her, right in the center of two hallways to the left and right. She looked at it; it had a fairly striking contrast to the dark, dingy mansion-it was lightly shaded, a peaceful mountainous scenery on a bright blue sky. She heard a pattering sound on the carpet to her left. She saw blood on the ground. She checked herself for wounds, and heard the noise again. There was blood dripping from the ceiling. She looked up to see the fleeting image at a mutilated corpse.  
  
Shocked, she turned and strode the other way, looking back to see nothing. She turned around again. The blood was gone, and there was nothing on the ceiling. What was that? Was she hallucinating? She backed into the wall, then walked over to her left, where yet another hallway, sporting a large stained glass window at the end, opened up. Walking over, she began to hear en electric hum. She moved closer to the stained glass window, which now hummed loudly, and frightening whispers could be heard. It began to glow red, and she decided she would not fool with it. On the wall to her right, she saw an indentation in the wallpaper. It was square-shaped, like a doorway, but the paper sagged inward as if it were uneven. She knocked on it with her fist, then knocked the wall next to it. The caved in section reverberated with a hollow thump, while the rest of the wall made a plaster-solid knock. Odd, she thought. She dismissed it and headed back to the front of the hallway, but entered the room on the way. It smelled of old books, and was littered with old treasures of various sorts. There were the usual photos of Roivas ancestors, there were hanging confederate flags from 250 years ago, old books and scriptures, little boxes of what looked like gun ammunition and an old cabinet and bed. An odd site, indeed. But it all seemed to fit together. A cold wind caused her to spin around. Nothing terrifying, just open windows. But then a fluttering that was not the curtains, but rather a small piece of paper stuck behind a portrait of an eastern-looking man in a turban. She pulled it out, and sure enough, it was another one of those obnoxious chapter pages. Looking at it, it gave her the urge to go down and place it into that large book again.  
  
After a short while of exploring the little museum some more, she went back downstairs and into the secret study to insert the chapter page. Opening the heavy book, she slid it into the place just after the end of the messenger's chapter and before the change in heading at the top of the page. It fit nicely, and she was whisked off to the next part of the story. 


	8. Karim Shiquiri: The Gift of Forever

The sun blares down upon my body. I can feel the scorching, retching feeling of its sacred rays eating away my skin. But I dare not protest. For I know of the blessings that shall bestow upon me on this day.  
  
That being said, I will finally clear things up with my appointed spouse-to-be, Chandra Ali. Yes, it has been many years that I'd known her. But she means just about everything to me. Everything about her prim, curvaceous figure just continues to overthrow any concentration my mind has managed to muster. I will do anything to please her, whether it means fighting a horde of demons with nothing but a stick or climbing to the top of the highest temple in Persia and jumping off. But she would never make me do something so unreasonable as that.  
  
I have to say that I would like nothing more than to find her with a larger, stronger man, and to tear him apart in a display of dominance. I've always believed that strength was only second in fighting to skill, though I much prefer a duel of swords, in their efficient glory, to the clumsy, lumbering blows of human fists. I am strong myself, yes, but I would rather be known as swift and fluid than strong and brutal.  
  
I come upon her desert abode, walking softly and sweating profusely. Under her porch, I take off the turban, then quietly open the door to her dry spruce hut. Such modesty, for someone who's parents are some of the richest people in the land. The walls are elegantly dressed in silk and linen, with purpled patterns and unlit lanterns. Chandra is on her great silk bed, lying there and staring lazily at me with her lusty eyes. I bow before her.  
  
"I have implored you for years, yet you ignore all my advances. You dominate my dreams, and I can think of nothing else. I fear I desire you many hundred times more than you love me," I said, trailing off slowly.  
  
"My life has become a waking dream, Karim. For weeks I have dreamed of an ancient treasure so precious that it changes all life around it. It must be mine, Karim. If you truly desire me, as you say, then you will find this for me."  
  
She spoke as if she were dying of a terrible sickness. I was swept away by her eloquence. I wanted to help her in any way possible, but this sounded like a juvenile fantasy.  
  
"Bring this treasure to me, and I will be yours. Both our dreams will come true," she finished.  
  
"I need nothing more than you. You have enthralled me to the point where I can think of nothing else. Promise. If I leave, you will not forget about me," I asked.  
  
"You need not worry. I desire nothing more than the treasure that you seek. Leave now, Karim, and I shall await you."  
  
Her last remark had made me feel empty, for it was as if she didn't want me at all. But I decided to fulfill her demands.  
  
"Where is this treasure?" I asked.  
  
"Deep in the desert, you should come across three large stone monoliths. Stand in the center, and let the light guide you. But be sure to arm yourself, as no man has ever yet returned from its destination."  
  
"All right, I will go," I told her.  
  
I gathered up my supplies and left. I had a large blade that had been given to me by a fellow nomad, called a Tulwar, and I had been a bit foolish in throwing one of my twenty Chakrams off of a cliff, leaving me with 19. Nobody had returned? Follow the light? This would surely be either something very interesting or a fable. Where would people go when blessed with the light? Perhaps the light simply killed the people?  
  
I trudge back out into the desert. It is flat, but searching for miles around could still take many days. I decide to follow the wind. It points to the East. I see many rock formations ahead, but I cannot tell if they are mountains or crags on the ground. It will be a long journey.  
  
---  
  
I have been walking for hours, and the wind has changed direction. I see a rock formation ahead. I jog diagonally toward it. Yes, it does not quite follow the horizon line. It is getting toward evening, and the sun is setting. The wind builds up. Soft humming is in my ears as I approach the rocks. As I get a closer look, I see that it is clearly the three monoliths Chandra speaks of. There is a symbol on each one, a very unnatural thing. Red, Green and Blue are their colors.  
  
"Karim."  
  
A voice makes me jump. It is deep and seductive, reminding me of Chandra. My true motivation. I look around, and no one is near. But it didn't seem like my imagination. I've barely begun to feel fatigued, and I've seen no mirages. But I guess it is time to find this light and meet my destiny. I step into the center of the hub, and I hear an unnatural humming noise. The insides of the monoliths glow brightly, and brilliant strings of light shoot from them, blinding me briefly. Worried that I would die, I stepped to the side, only to hit my head on something. Everything went dark. For a second, I thought I'd gone blind. But strangely enough, I was now in a new setting. Not the desert, but some sort of dark, cool dungeon. The stone walls looked ruined and aged, some of the cracked and crumbling, and there appeared to be many different illegible writings on the walls.  
  
Torches lit the walls, and dried, filthy carcasses littered the ground. Were these the bodies of the people who had been here before? What could have scorched them and killed them so? I notice that a ladder is now the only exit from this room. I climb down, and the air around me grows thicker denser, cooler.  
  
I hit solid ground. Out ahead, there is a large shrine, with statues surrounding it. In the distance, there is the most terrifying screaming sound. Like a thousand people crying out constantly, souls trying to escape the earth. I feel a strong gust from behind, and look back. The ladder is gone, and I'm staring off into abyss. It had been another strange, mirage-like occurrence. I walked down a narrow path, pits of swallowing darkness on either side, fearing what might happen to me if I were to stumble. There are pedestals to the side of me, on three of them, very perplexing statues. One is broken in half, the bottom half clearly a plated red 'dress', similarly worn by the legionnaires of the past in this region of Persia. Another is of a beautiful young woman, similar to Chandra but very slender, in a light outfit with a narrow blade and metal cuffs around her arms and ankles. The last is of a man wearing unfamiliar white silks, with long, smooth hair and Roman cross on his arm. I should not be distracted. I hear the screaming growing louder, and I notice the painted faces of people on the ground. They are barren, soulless faces with empty pit eyes and few other facial features. And they began moving. Gently pushing up, their mouths whining. Further down, their heads stretch right out of the ground, screaming loudly and clearly. I begin to run, and I come to a dead end. There is nothing more except a large, wicked hand holding a huge, leather-bound tome. It opened up, goading me to grab it. An explosion of flashbacks wrenched through me, and I am left standing in the room in which I began in.  
  
I had the book in my hands now, which seemed much smaller and more compact than before. I heard scraping on the ground. And I could barely believe what I was seeing. The bodies were stirring, moving, dragging themselves off the ground to my height. They began to stumble clumsily towards me, about at the rate of a brisk walk, groaning wearily. I dropped the book and drew my blades. I lashed out and chopped the head off of one. It stumbled around blindly, swiping fiercely out in front of itself.  
  
Astounded that it did not fall, I felt fetid claws grabbing the back of my neck. I slice backwards, cutting its right arm off. It stumbled away, but another monster raked across my chest with its bony claws. It left four hideous claw marks, each one seeping blood. I chopped at its side three times until it was cut in half. I let the blind one stumble into the armless one to face two more. Tired as it was, I decided to ignore them and head down the ladder again.  
  
Thankfully, I landed in a solid room, still connected to the prior one. But there were two hideous red giants, lying on the ground near a large marble table with a small white statue. I picked it up, and the two demons crawled to their feet. I skittered to a halt as two more rose up in front of me. I rushed into one, letting him take the full brunt with my Tulwar in the stomach. It barely seemed to faze him. I ducked to avoid what looked like a powerful blow. The other behind it pushed it out of the way, and revealed itself to have an oddly transparent midsection, with the apparition of a strange shape spinning around in its center. They both took a swipe, but I ducked out of the way and slashed the first one's head off. It grew into a hideous rampage, flailing wildly and knocking me over. I closed up my shirt while it mindlessly attacked the other one, which nevertheless still bent over to pursue me. I rolled to avoid its rotten teeth and got up behind the headless one, then stabbed it in the back. I slashed twice more, as hard as I could muster, and it slowly collapsed to the ground.  
  
The two red beasts I had ran from earlier had caught up, and were pushing past each other toward me. I cut the nearest one's arm off, but that left me open to a slanted blow to my side. I stabbed again and again, waiting for it to wind up its punch, and then cut off its other arm. I began to attack the one with the shape in its body, hacking the wounds made by the now-dead headless giant. It fell. I turned to the last one, and smashed its skull in, then several its neck. It went into the previous one's rage, so I backed away to regain my breath. After my heart calmed, I thrust forth into its stomach, then ducked and gave un uppercut blow. It backed off, injured. I gave it a double slash to the stomach, kicked it, then pierced its heart through the strong but torn flesh. It went down. I felt a smashing blow to the back of the head. I turned around to see the once- armless one, with one arm now, a twisted knob slowly swelling from the other wound. How is this possible? I danced spinning and slashing until it writhed on the ground, then applied a final blow. All four of the demons were done for.  
  
As I stood there, panting, I noticed the shape that was in one of the beast's bodies sitting on the ground. I walked over, and it slid toward my in an odd sort of attraction. I picked it up, and it was sucked through my hand into my turban. I opened it up to see a large gold coin. Strangely, I never remembered putting anything up there. It had assorted symbols on it, one of them the one that was lying on the floor. They all glowed faintly. All were labeled with a definition, one saying item, another saying project, and so forth. I touched 'item' with my finger, and it glowed brightly. I touched 'project' as well. Then all were cleared and one green one appeared in the center. I pushed it, and the coin flashes, then sparks blew out of it and illuminated by blade a bright green. I touched it. It was not hotter nor cooler. Confused, I put the coin away and continued on.  
  
I came to an odd sight. A shrine, covered with candles, lay in the middle of this room. There was a tower, and around it, three circular plates. I stepped on one. The candles burned brighter, but nothing else happened. I decided to place the odd white statue on it, and look for some more to cover all three. I saw a curious sight; a transparent wall with a glowing symbol on it, the same I'd seen earlier. I walked up to it, and it vanished. I was beginning to lose track of what was and wasn't real, I thought to myself, climbing down the ladder behind the spectral wall.  
  
I found myself in another dank corridor. With three more large, red bodies on the ground. I decided to take a different strategy this time. I threw a Chakram at one, cutting off its head. Success! It would be blinded when it awoke. I threw another, hitting a different one in the side. Further down, there was another pedestal, with a second, black statue on it. I walked down and grabbed it. As expected, the decapitated one awoke in a confused state. I ran it through, knocking it to the ground and beating it until it was dead. The other two rose to my right. I goaded one towards me, and dodged a punch. I ran at it with my blade, getting it stuck, but then toppled over with it. The other remaining one slashed down on my back, opening foul new founds. The grounded one tried to bite me, so I rolled off and slashed it at the ankles. I spun and cut the other one's hand, then struck fervently until it was down, then finished off the other one.  
  
Carrying the statue back to the shrine, I began to feel tired and weary. I'd lost a lot of blood from my wounds. My vest was soaked, clinging wetly to my shirt. I took out a talisman of mine, given to me as an heirloom gift. It was supposed to heal my body in times of danger. I looked into its balmy golden lining, and I felt a wave of energy and strength. The wounds in my back and stomach seemed to close, and the blood stopped flowing. I put the black statue onto the second pressure plate, and the candles burned much brighter, gently warming me in their powerful luminescence. One more statue should do it. Or, I could stand on the last one, just to see what it would bring. I walked over and stepped onto it, and the candles roared and sprayed their flame onto the ceiling. The room rumbled as the shrine rose slowly, revealing an elevator-like platform at its base.  
  
I moved toward it, but stopped stiff as four frightening, shrieking scorpions stepped off the ascended platform. They squealed helplessly, but I knew better than to judge things by their size. I threw a Chakram at one, slicing it open and soiling the floor. I sneaked past the others, then stood on the lift. It began to sink, and dropped me into a very dark corridor. I picked the torch off the wall and went on to see three dead soldiers, each with disgusting lacerations in their bodies. The third one had something sticking out of it, which had blessedly turned out to be a similar Tulwar blade. I pulled it out of the body, and the body twitched. Strange. Human bodies hadn't attacked me yet. The body sprang to its feet, then stiffly turned to me and began swinging wildly. I slashed at it, cutting wounds that should have killed a normal man. It kicked me hard, but I shrugged off the blow and cut deep into him. For a second, he stopped. But then his disgusting corpse began to expand, like it was being pushed apart from the inside. In an explosion of blood that showered me thoroughly, something tore out of him, then jumped out from the crumpling skin of his legs. It looked like an insect of some kind, a giant, rust-red mantis that stood up to me neck, hunched over its scythe-like forearms. It had, however, the jaws on a carnivorous meat-eating reptile. It shrieked and jumped at me, latching onto my back with its sharp claws. I pried it off, then took both Tulwars and severed its neck off in both directions. I was relieved to see that it didn't get back up.  
  
Another room, this one with several large doors, and another set of beasts, two more giants. I brutally attacked them, not letting them corner me. My ferocity was rewarded by a punch to the chest after slicing deeply into one. I chopped it away, and applied a crushing downward blow to the other. It crumpled, but the first one charged on relentlessly. I rent it apart, but it exploded, just like the man in the hallway before this. And yet again, a screaming mantis burst out. I applied another double-chop to quickly and vigorously decapitate it. I noticed a small scroll on the floor. Picking it up, it was scrawled with the word 'healing'. It had two symbols on it, one being 'Self', and the other being 'Absorb'. I pulled out the gold coin again. I saw 'absorb', but 'self' wasn't there. I chose a door and left.  
  
Yet another confusing array of doors, and three more giants. Was there no end to these? I decided to run past them. But something felt incomplete, whenever they saw me, I grew worried. Like there was a sense of completeness in killing them. But what lay ahead took my mind off that completely. At the end of a narrow hallway, in the center of a domed chamber, a huge, three-headed monstrosity roared and clawed the air. Three salivating mouths gnashed from its broad torso, and two huge arms hung to the floor, tipped with three clawed fingers. Its skin was a mottled mix of black and red scales.  
  
Rearing up, it was about nine feet tall. I pulled out my Chakrams and threw them as hard as I could, watching them gash into its flesh. I managed to use three before it stomped the ground shaking the room. A stream of light shot from the striking point on the floor. It scorched the ground in front of me, shattering a steaming pit in the terra plate. I threw four more before it stomped again. This time, I felt the blast catch my foot. It enveloped me, then seemed to momentarily blind me. My body exploded with a scorching pain that caused me to drop my weapons. After another moment, I felt another stomp, and ducked to the side just in time. The bolt seared the earth at me feet again. I regained my vision, picked up me Chakrams, and threw three more before it lurched foreword. Drawing my dual blades, I watched it get stuck momentarily in the narrowing walls. I ran and double-slashed it. The monster, with ten heavy metal rings embedded in its body, sank backwards, then fell over into its side. I ran up and stabbed down into it. Its body disintegrated, leaving a symbol on the floor. It sucked into the coin, and was labeled 'self'. I decided to complete the enchantment. I touched 'self' and 'absorb'. A green light flashed, and I felt much more relaxed.  
  
I headed back to see the three monsters and a blue scorpion. Two were advancing towards it, bending over and outstretching their arms as if to pick it up. The scorpion screamed and released a blue shock wave on the floor. It spread out, pudding around their feet, then bathed them in blue energy. Their bodies disintegrated, and the scorpion slumped, dead. It was an interesting spectacle, but it was cut short by the approaching threat of the third giant. I made short work of it, then faced another transparent wall with a runic symbol on it. It dissolved. I walked down the ladder behind it, worrying just how deep I would have to go.  
  
I wound up, now in a forked, T-shaped hallway. A single giant faced away from me on the right side. I touched the 'project' and 'item' symbols on the coin, and it made my sword glow again. As I hacked it to pieces, the glow seemed to scorch its flesh. The left side of the fork was blocked off with rubble, so I went right, ending up in a huge, dome-shaped room. Stairs led to a pit in the center, where a great burning goblet sat behind a stone with the handle of a weapon sticking out of it. I walked up and grabbed it. It slid easily out of the stone, and it was much longer than I'd expected. I recognized it as a Ram Dao broadsword, one of the largest ever made. But as I did that, I unleashed a wave of horror around me as creatures rose up from nowhere. Five demons, the black, sinewy ones I'd first fought, shuffled towards me.  
  
I drew back the huge blade and swiped at the cluster as hard as I could, cutting two of them in half. I did a downward chop that cleaved one in half down the middle, and swiped the feet out from the last two. I cut them in half like one would a giant cleaver as they writhed on the ground. It seemed an easy break, until more monsters appeared. I checked the exit, and it was blocked by a large sliding door. I sighed, as the second group closed it. It consisted of five huge red monsters. I leapt out, taking two huge swipes at the nearest three. It wasn't strong enough to cut them in half, but it did knock them over. I pulled out my Tulwars and threw them. The heavy blades stuck into one. I hit the remaining one with two large swiped to kill it, then finished off the one with the Tulwars in it. The other three had gotten back up, so I ran one through, then ground down the others with Tulwars. Such a fearsome display of passion and vigor for the art of sword fighting had gone to waste on a group of worthless denizens.  
  
Yet another wave appeared. Similar to the first one, it had four of the dry, shambling demons. I repeated my intense dance for them, finding it all too easy, but not quite wanting to be challenged. A fourth and final wave, three large red demons, one of them about eight feet tall, attacked. I ran at one to the left, the impact of my weight on the blade forcing it right through its stomach. Pulling it out, I cut at its side, only to have a red mantis explode out of it. I wound up for a swipe, but the creature slashed me stomach. It leapt at me, but I ducked. As it clattered on the floor, I threw a Chakram and cut off its head. The second of the smaller giants had another mantis inside of it, and I dispatched of it by removing both arms with Tulwars. As I ran at the last one, it swiped out and knocked the blade out of my hand. It took fast, large steps toward me as I dodged a swipe and a stomp attack. I leapt behind it and threw my Tulwars into its back. I went in with the Ram Dao, but it spun around and knocked me over. I rolled and spun, avoiding stomps, and picked up my sword. The giant reared up for a swipe with his left hand, so I swung and connected with it, cutting it off. I did the same with the left, and it lunged at me, bleeding out of its stumps. I took two more large swipes at its sides, and it finally buckled, leaving a glowing symbol in its death. Sucking it into the coin, it appeared as a red symbol labeled 'Chattur'gha'. Could this have any different effects on me than the green symbol? I tried 'heal' again. This time, I felt the same burst of strength that I had when I used my heirloom talisman. Strangely enough, they both created the same pattern of symbols around my body, and both had executed with the same deep, insidious voice.  
  
The only way to go was to backtrack. I walked back to the hallway, then back up the ladder. Nowhere to go here. I went back even further, into the first multi-door room. I noticed an odd emblem on it, with the picture of a blade that looked surprisingly like this one. It was embossed with a red circle. I inserted the blade. Nothing happened. Then the fairly obvious solution struck me. I was to enchant my weapon with the Chattur'gha symbol. Taking out the coin, I touched 'project', 'item' and 'Chattur'gha'. The sword now glows bright red, and scorched the inside of the slot when I pushed it in. The seal covering the door faded.  
  
I met up with three monsters I'd never seen before. They were similar to the dry, weak ones I'd slaughtered with impunity, but they had rotten green skin and bandages. With my glowing red blade, I slashed one in half. The enchantment seemed to make it very easy to hurt them. One of them tried to grab the blade, but a searing scorch burnt off its hand. I cut them down easily, then went up another ladder that led to a dusty, hot, dark room. I heard more of the squealing scorpions on the ground. I jumped onto the table in the center, where my eyes met a small, solid ruby warrior's statue. I pocketed it, wishing that it were Chandra's desired treasure but somehow knowing it wasn't, then went back down. There was rubble ahead, so I carefully stepped over it to meet another terrifying sight.  
  
A huge green monstrosity, almost exactly similar to the three-headed monstrosity he'd earlier encountered, stood in the center of a large nook. It didn't see me, but I had a feeling that the red enchantment would work. But would it work on my Chakrams? I counted six left. I pressed them on top of each other, then used the coin. Success! They glowed bright red. But the scratchy voice of the enchanting spirit made the huge monster spin around and face me. Rather than the three heads of the first one, it had three huge, hideous eyes, each one lined with tiny teeth. Now was my chance. I flung two at it. One struck its chest, and the other ruined its left eye. It closed in on me and took a massive swipe. I dodged to the left, and it smashed some rock out of the wall. I noticed green strings of energy flowing around its body. I backed off, but a bolt came out and seared me. It wasn't as blinding and painful as the first monster's bolt, but it stunned me long enough for it to turn around. I threw two more Chakrams, and the monster roared in agony, all three eyes gone. It stumbled and fell to the ground. I idled around the corpse and climbed down what I'd hoped to be the last ladder I'd see today.  
  
An artful room waited at the top, and I was shocked to see, protruding out of the ground, the same monstrous hand that I had earlier seen in the shrine with the horrible screaming faces in the ground. Another transparent barrier covered up a path. I decided to place the book back in the hand. It closed, and the barrier was removed. It then opened up again, so I retook it. A nervous feeling overtook me. I palmed my sacred talisman, giving me a rush, the, re-enchanted my sword. I walked out into the rock-lined hallway. A humming noise sounded, and I looked back to see the barrier close off again. I walked ahead and heard shuffling feet. I looked into the chamber in front of me. It was empty. The noise must have been coming from behind. Looking back, I saw a horde of monsters emerging from behind the barrier and slipping through it with ease.  
  
Even with my Ram Dao blade, their sheer numbers overwhelmed me. As I hacked and slashed, I was backed into the circular chamber, and had to use pedestals as cover. I counted seven dry demons, eight red giants and a mantis inside. As I drew the blade across hideous bodies, I grew exhausted. There was little room to swing the Ram Dao. I switched to the Tulwars and timed attacks as good as possible. When the gauntlet stopped, I was relieved until I heard the familiar stomp of the horrible, three- headed monster. It was sidling into the room slowly, and even as I threw my last two enchanted Chakrams, they hardly seemed to effect it in the way that they did on the green one. I saw the electricity welling up around body and ducked behind a pedestal, which absorbed the shock, but shattered. I ran out and slashed hard with my Ram Dao, hoping to score a lucky slash. Its claw caught me in the stomach, and it dug deep as it flung me into the wall, back first.  
  
I felt the wind leave me. I felt the deep cut pouring blood. I heard the energy building up again. I quickly grabbed the talisman for a final boost. The energy grew louder, and I dodged a foreword spike as I jumped up with all my might and thrust the Ram Dao into its stomach. The energy shocked me, but the monster was stunned. I pulled out the Tulwars and threw them, cutting into its lower stomach and center head. It fell, bleeding a pool, then disappearing.  
  
I sat there, panting, wondering and dreading what would happen next. The answer came to me in the form of a small, floating relic above one of the pedestals. I reached out to touch it, when I heard a ghastly familiar voice.  
  
"Karim. We will be together forever."  
  
I looked back and saw something that horrified me more than anything I'd seen so far. The ghostly apparition of Chandra stood silently behind me. How could this happen? She was safely back at her abode! I'm the one who risked his life foolishly! I should have died.  
  
"Chandra," I said. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Things change, my dear Karim," she said in a voice that was less familiar than I'd thought. It had no passion, it was now factual and strict. "But even though my body is ravaged, I await you."  
  
"Who did this to you?"  
  
"You were gone so long, I," she paused, "gave myself to a nobleman with a jealous mistress. She had me dragged from my bed, and in cruel revenge, cleansed with knives."  
  
Then her spectral beauty disappeared as she took the form of her mutilated, torn body. That must be the way she looked after death.  
  
"As the last blades were drawn across my body and my blood cooled upon the floor, she cursed that I would only be with another in death."  
  
I could not believe this. Yes, I would rather die than her. But this was her sheer pathetic lack of willpower. Killing demons, finding relics, getting to this place in the center of an ancient tomb. This had come out of his preposterous, life-risking effort. I'd not been gone more than a day.  
  
"So much for thinking only of me," I said. "I should never have left."  
  
"I have seen my folly, and have paid dearly for it. I see so much more, now. In death, I know the true value of the artifact I asked you to find, and it is not for us to possess. If we are to be together again, you must make a sacrifice. " She gave me a look of seduction that hadn't quite convinced me. "Only when that is complete will we be together."  
  
"Sacrifice?" I couldn't believe this. "Why should I do anything for you? You lied to me! Betrayed me!" I added insult to injury. "And you really don't look so good anymore."  
  
"You must forget the past. Despite who you are now, you will also become something more, just as I have. But the sacrifice must be made. We must remain here and guard the artifact. Dark things will come to claim it and you must be strong to keep it from them. Without your sacrifice, the world will fall into eternal darkness!"  
  
Not quite understanding this, I shrugged it off and decided to reap the little benefit, curious as to just what her ghastly body would feel like.  
  
"The things I do for love," I added.  
  
She held me in an embrace, and we kissed. Her lips felt cold and dry. I felt a stinging shock. I fell back, screaming, light emanating from my body. It disappeared, and only a ghostly form took its place.  
  
.  
  
So long. An eternity. How much more? I have not even been able to count the years! I am trapped! A chosen one! No longer can I be forced to believe in such rubbish! I have long outlived my natural life. yet it is in solitude! I cannot leave, I cannot rest in peace! I am trapped in an eternal lapse of emptiness!  
  
Chandra! She is company! And is not she the only person I've seen, had contact with, inside this stale prison of stone! No more clattering of the children's boots! No more hymns and serenades and bells! The bells cannot toll! I am wasted away in vain!"  
  
.  
  
A millenium has passed. I have yet to set foot outside. Chandra warns me.  
  
I may finally give say and pass on.  
  
"Somebody's coming!" she says.  
  
I draw my blade as a portly, bearded man in a green robe stops in fright.  
  
"Who, what?" he stammers.  
  
"I am the Guardian of this Temple, the Forbidden City," I tell him. Chandra, loyal and kind, blocks the intruder so that I can test him.  
  
"None shall enter except the chosen. Speak!" I say. I slash through him with my sword. But it passes through with no harm. Still, he cowers in fright. He looks to have been through much trouble, like I had those centuries ago. But still, I remember what this means. It means that he is indeed the one to carry on the prophecy.  
  
"You are the Chosen," I say. "For many years I have tested those who came here and all have failed. You are unaffected by the Power I wield, and thus must surely be the Chosen."  
  
The man is still confused. "I?" he mutters.  
  
"Once I was as you were, confused and without answers. Yet, they came in time. Now, my duty is complete. I can finally rest. My sacrifice was not in vein," I tell him. Chandra gives him the essence. I am done.  
  
I may rest in peace. 


	9. Finding Maximillians's chapter page

The images and thoughts flashing throughout Alex's mind had left her quite depressed, and she feared what else she might find out within these walls. The last story had been dramatic and a bit foreboding, with the graphic descriptions of the warrior's actions. But she would not give up yet, the truth of her grandfather's death had to be obtained.  
  
Alex left the study and went upstairs again. This was still an entire new floor to discover. She went left, and into a moderate-sized bedroom. The walls were without paper or insulation. More portraits hung, disturbing as ever. One was of a woman and a demon lover, with three half- bred children. Another was of a disturbingly peaceful mountain scene, similar to the one in the front hall, but from a different perspective. It seemed to bring forth a glimmer of hope.  
  
A small bathroom connected to it. Inside, Alex saw a note on the sink. It looked very old, but thoroughly brushed off. She read it in whispers to herself.  
  
---Everything that brightened my life now engulfed me in darkness. I fed on the light of truth yet starved on the shadows of lies. I have learned through my lifetime, but know less than a newborn baby---  
  
It was labeled Maximillian Roivas. Who was that? She thought. A long lost uncle, or perhaps one of her ancestors? A date on the paper might solve things. She decided to leave, but noticed something strange about the bathtub. Something white peeked over the rim. She slowly stepped over to it, and she noticed that the water was a dark, thick red. The white glimpse turned out to be fleshy and rotten; the arm of Alex's body, lying in a pool of her own blood.  
  
After a few minutes resuscitation, Alex gathered the courage to go downstairs again, but on the way, saw the painting again in the center of the hallway. Something didn't seem the same. The sky was darker, a bit more night-like. Clouds floated overhead, with the slightest glaze of red at the bottom. The once peaceful villagers now toiled in the fields, and some of the bushes and trees looked a little deader. Two planted sticks stood in the foreground, as if to impale someone.  
  
Alex decided to shrug it off and go back to the kitchen, where she'd remembered the strange symbol, as it had sounded just like the symbol in the story. She pulled out her Gladius blade, and the mysterious coin. She chose the runes and shouted "Antorbok Magermor Chattur'gha". It flashed red, and little sparkles fell off. She pushed it in, and the symbol disappeared letting her open the heavy closet door. It had a shelf of cooking supplies and spices. One jar had an old piece of paper stuck inside it. She opened it up, and sure enough, it was another verse of depressing story from that book.  
  
Going back to the study, she placed the page inside of the book and let it take her away. 


End file.
